Just another WordPress.com weblog

Today’s recipe comes from one of my favorite cookbooks in my kitchen, Betty Crocker’s Easy Everyday Vegetarian. There are many reasons for my love of this cookbook, good pictures, easy to find ingredients, in fact you may have most them in your kitchen already, the meals are fairly quick to make, and for you non-vegetarians out there it gives suggestions of how it can be converted to non-veg options.

After consulting a friend about this recipe he provided some excellent tweeks using just my discription and well I’m happy I took his suggestions because it just pumped up the flavor. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did…

Spinach Curried Ravioli

INGREDIENTS

1 package (9oz) pre-made ravioli

1 box (9oz) frozen spinach

2 oz. cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup canned coconut milk

1/3 cup vegetable broth

3/4 teaspoon curry powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon whole coriander

1 stick cinnamon, broken

2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated

1/2 cup green onion, chopped

1/4 cup peanuts

Prepare ravioli as instructed on package. Pepare spinach as instructed on package.

Use cheese cloth to tie up cinnamon stick and coriander in a mini bag.

I must think I live in the southern hemisphere because it’s summer in my apartment or at least my cooking is very summery. Lots of my cooking comes together just by looking around the kitchen and picking out things I imagine will taste good together. If you are looking for something light to eat with all this heavy winter food I’ve got the recipe for you.

Lemon Pepper Pasta

1 box Farfalle pasta

1 red pepper, sliced into 1/2 inch strips

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup pine nuts

1 teaspoon lemon peel

lemon juice

1/4 fresh basil, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

Cook pasta according to package.

In a medium pan heat olive oil over medium high heat. Saute lemon peel, garlic, pine nuts and onions until onions are near clear. Add red pepper and cook until crisp tender. Squeeze juice of half of lemon in and cook to mix flavors.

Toss pasta with a little bit of olive oil and sauteed vegetables. Sprinkle with basil.

Sometimes the ordinary every day back of the box recipes need a little twist. For years my sister’s and I have been making the San Girogio Creamy Garlic pasta as printed on the back of the box, but tonight I took the good as it is Creamy Garlic pasta to a whole new level of yumminess!

Bruschetta Pasta

INGREDIENTS:

1 box pasta

1 large tomato or 1 can diced tomato

1 medium red onion

Creamy Garlic Pesto Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

3/4 cups vegetable, chicken, or beef broth

3/4 milk or light cream

1/3 cup parmesan

salt and pepper to taste

1 tablespoon pesto, see previous post for pesto recipe or buy it pre-made

I have a tendency to eat a lot of pasta which can get pretty boring after a while especially if all you do is keep alternating between canned alfredo and tomato sauce (that’s what happens when you are too tired to cook or have no time) As I contemplated my pasta meal for this week I decided I wanted to shake things up a bit, so we have PESTO! But pesto alone would not be enough, so I did what I do when I get a food inspiration and raided my cabinet and fridge hoping for more inspiration to hit me and it did. I present to you…

ROASTED RED PEPPER, TOASTED WALNUT, FETA PESTO PASTA

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 box fettuccine

1/2 cup walnuts, toasted

1 bell red pepper, chopped, roasted

Feta Crumbles

Pesto sauce (recipe follows)

Make pesto sauce.

Cook pasta according to box instructions.

In the mean time chop pepper into large chunks, it roasts best when the chunks are bigger. Place chunks of peppers on a roasting pan or cookie sheet in a single layer. Use toaster oven or conventional oven and set to broil. Make sure to move the rack closer to the top of the oven. Once you toss the pasta in the pot to cook place peppers in oven. Cook on one side until spots of blackening occur, about 5 minutes. Flip to cook the other side about 3 minutes. Remove from oven and cool until you can handle it to chop into bite size pieces.

Chop walnuts. Place in skillet on medium high heat. The walnuts will darken as they toast be careful not to burn them it doesn’t take much.

Toss cooked pasta and about 1/4 of pesto sauce, just enough to coat the pasta. Sprinkle with feta crumbles, walnuts and pepper.

I would guesstimate 3 servings.

PESTO SAUCE

2 cups basil, wash, dry, destemmed

3 colves garlic, chopped

1/4 pine nuts (pignolia)

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 extra virgin olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

In food processor or blender mix all the ingredients on medium speed until smooth. It’s really that simple!

You can make this in advance. Seal it tightly and save it in your refridgerator for 5 days or freeze for up to a month. Darkening of pesto during storage is normal.